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The American Political System

In general:
Government: “Government of the people, by the people and for the people”
Three different branches: legislative, executive, and judiciary

Legislative:
Congress: House of Representatives and the Senate
Members are directly elected by the people

House of Representatives:
every member has to be at least 25 years old
435 members, who are elected directly by the people
they show the public opinion
every state has at least one member in the House of Representatives
relation between: people and member per state
elected every 2 years
Majority leader is at the same time the speaker of the House

The Senate:
every member has to be at least 30 years old
100 members (every state has 2 governors)
their task is to represent the interests of their states
elected every 6 years
every year 1/3 are newly elected
Vice president is the leader of the Senate

Laws:
House of Representatives and the Senate have the same, equal rights
Departments, Rules Committee, Congress, Conference Committee, White House
If the majority of the House of Representatives says yes to a bill, the Congress cannot say anything against it, and the other way around
If they do not have the same opinions the Conference Committee must find a decision
At the end the President of the USA has the right to veto
If 2/3 of the congress say still yes, the law is through

Executive:
“Just” the president: Executive Office of the president
secretaries (appointed by president) and departments are directly under the president

The president:
has to be at least 35 years old and have live in America for 14 years
gets elected by the electors, depends on the population
every 4 years there is a new election, can get elected one more time

central power:
head of the state
head of the government
diplomat
commander- in- chief of the armed forces

=>presidential democracy
Congress has just one right to dismiss the president: impeachment proceedings if it was a high crime or misdemeanor

Judiciary:
U.S. Supreme Court
9 judges who are suggested by the president and confirmed by the senate
are appointed for lifetime

Election:
every person who is 18 has the right to vote

Parties:
Democratic Party (Bill Clinton) (= SPD)
Republican Party (= CDU)
Green Party = Grüne
Libertarian Party = FDP
Reform Party
Socialist Party
Communist Party
Ku Klux Klan Party
National Socialist White Party
Natural Party
Peace and Freedom Party
Christian Coalition
...

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